Vampire Pathology

Infection

A
vampire bite can cause death by anaphylactic reaction; repeated bites can cause
death from haemorrhagic shock, occasionally from subacute anaemia. A small minority
of bites can lead to a metamorphosis from 'normal human being' to vampire; vampirification.
One study suggests fewer than 1% of attacks lead to vampirification.2

There
is no record - or rumour - of vampire reproduction in any other way, supporting
theories of a parasitic factor; vampirification as a means of increasing the vampire
population.

The favoured age of victims is early twenties; almost equal
numbers of male and female victims, with a marked predominace of healthy, educated
and intelligent people.2 Indeed, one mark of a threatened and declining
vampire group may be a deviation from this careful preselection of victims.

Vampirification

The
process of vampirification may follow a deliberate act on the part of a vampire;
occasionally it may be a chance infection. Bleaumeux3 argues that any
partaking of blood by a vampire might result in vampirification, but there are
problems with this thesis.

Vampires have been shown to take blood from
cattle, horse and sheep (among others), with no record of these creatures being
affected, beyond blood loss. This may be a species immunity result, or may be
evidence that accidental vampirification simply does not occur.

The process
of vampirification is still poorly understood; it may be a natural result of a
viral infection, a sophisticated drug-induced process - or, most likely, a parasitic
infection. The problem has always been a lack of hard pathological evidence; no
vampire has yet co-operated with researchers, and no viable specimens have been
obtained from captured vampires, as they always chose self-destruction before
co-operation.

The consensus in the scientific community is that the process
bears comparison with the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into an adult butterfly.5
The process of metamorphosis involves three distinct developmental stages: human,
pupa and vampire. In temperate zones, the pupal stage is thought to take 3 to
4 days, much longer in colder climates.4 Views differ on the effects
of higher temperatures; vampires are rare in hot climates, and this may be because
the process cannot occur above a certain temperature.

Anatomy

Though
vampires on Buffychange from a human
visage to a demonic appearance as they attack, few 'real life' accounts support
this contention. There is no obvious change in appearance after vampirification,
except for a marked pallor, and an almost universal appearance of significantly
below average weight.6

Such minor changes, however, conceal significant
changes under the skin.

A wealth of circumstantial evidence suggests that
the pupal stage involves major changes to heart, circulation and renal systems,
with consequent alterations to other systems to accomodate a very altered lifestyle.

Human
haemoglobin uses iron as its core; the vampire equivalent uses magnesium. This
allows the vampire to dispense with an artificially maintained body temperature;
it creates a highly efficient cardiac muscle allied to more flexible blodd vessels
and it virtually eliminates the risk of thrombosis/embolism.

Deficiency
of magnesium is known to lead to anxiety, irritability, anger, insomnia and mood
swings; all features reported in vampires, especially when deprived of sustenance.

Changes
to muscle and bone following vampirification may account for the 'superhuman'
abilities attributed to vampires, such as speed
and strength.

Physiology

Respiration in
the vampire does not involve the lungs at all. Pending full dissection and analysis,
it is impossible to conjecture in detail on the chemical processes involved. Oxygen-based
respiration would present a serious risk of spontaneous combustion, and this may
explain the vampire's need for fresh blood; the oxygen held in oxyhaemoglobin
can be stored by the vampire, enabling controlled and safe combination with magnesium
to produce copious energy. The freedom from requiring 10+ respirations per minute
would significantly facilitate inactivity and hibernation. Spared the need for
maintaining mammalian temperatures, energy requirements can be reduced to near
zero for extended periods.6

Nutrition, for all living organisms,
is about meeting the needs of growth and repair, plus energy for activities of
life. For the vampire, a magnesium-based physiology allows the body to function
like a fuel cell; power is available for concerted activity, while prolonged rest
following binge consumption allows for regeneration and repair processes. Unlike
in human anatomy, the vampire kidney appears adapted to preserving magnesium with
great efficiency; extraction from the liquid diet might be sufficient for the
vampire lifestyle.

Reproduction does not exist within vampire communities;
human anatomy maintained at low temperatures, without carbon/oxygen metabolism
could not function; procreation could not occur. While this means the inconvenience
of 'recruiting' new blood, it also means that the energy of child rearing is not
expended

Growth and Aging: Vampires are normally recruited as adults; no
significant growth appears to be required, and longevity is a well documented
feature; with periods of inactivity and virtual hibernation, individual vampires
are known to have lived for centuries.

Repair processes appear to very
efficient, with activity hardly affected by multiple gunshot or stab wounds, and
complete recovery from severe injuries within a few days.

Vulnerabilities

While
the use of magnesium has granted vampires great advantages, it also brings vulnerabilities.

In
certain circumstances, magnesium can be an explosive element; this means that
no vampire will risk direct sunlight for fear of spontaneous combustion.

Wooden
stakes have long been a weapon of choice for the vampire hunter, but it is no
accident that hand-wielded, fresh cut unvarnished pine is much more likely to
prove fatal than hardwood or crossbow-fired polished wooden darts. This is because
it is not the wood itself that causes the reaction, but the enzymes that are found
in the resin of many varieties of wood. Indeed, a fragrant pine forest can lead
to an asthma-like condition that may be fatal to the vampire, and Australia, home
of the Eucalypt, is a no-go area to vampires.7

Efficient vasoconstriction,
coupled with powerful regenerative powers have given the vampire the reputation
of being unstoppable by blade or bullet - most experienced hunters will not relax
until the vampire has been burned or beheaded; injuries that would lead to almost
instant death in a human being are a minor inconvenience to a healthy vampire.